The present invention relates generally to in-line web manufacturing devices and methods. The invention relates further to in-line web manufacturing devices and methods for creation of lenticular lens material having a selected web orientation, utilized in combination with printed images to achieve a three-dimensional illusion.
In the printing arts, and in particular in the commercial printed label art for labeling and decorating consumer products, there exists a continual demand for labels and decorations which appeal to consumers; indeed, the commercial success of a given product often relies heavily upon consumer appeal for product packaging and specifically for product decoration and labeling.
Accordingly, manufacturers and retailers have sought marketing strategies for consumer products which exploit the consumer appeal of product labels and decorations (hereinafter, collectively, xe2x80x9clabelsxe2x80x9d). Over the years, labels have evolved from simple printed text descriptions of products, to xe2x80x9ceye-catchingxe2x80x9d multi-color graphics incorporating intricate designs along with product descriptions. Generally, each new label is designed with novelty and brand recognition in mind; label designs tend to be innovative and intriguing to the consumer, in addition to having aesthetic appeal and being identifiable with a particular brand.
It is often desired to impart a special visual effect to a label, such as that of three-dimensionality or of motion. Labels having these three-dimensional (xe2x80x9c3Dxe2x80x9d) or motion characteristics are usually considered to be consumer-interactive, for, it is hoped, increased consumer awareness and resulting increased sales of the product so labeled.
In general, 3D and motion visual effects have been costly and difficult to achieve; meanwhile, product manufacturers have demanded that labels be produced for their products as inexpensively as possible, to protect profit margins.
Typically, a pre-formed lenticular lens material is utilized for production of labels having the 3D or motion effect. Lenticular lens material, as known in the art, utilizes rows of simple and commonly dome-shaped lenses or xe2x80x9clenticulesxe2x80x9d, in combination with a lineform or interlaced image, to create a 3D or motion illusion. The lens material is, for the most part, optically clear, and has a flat side and a xe2x80x9clenticulatedxe2x80x9d side comprising the lenticules. The lineform or interlaced image comprises image segments oriented into contiguous juxtaposed rows. These image segments are typically created on a base material, such as paper, film, or the like. The image segments are specifically designed to correspond to the lenticules of the lens material, and vice-versa. The flat side of the lens material is secured against the segmented image at an orientation where the lenticules are in alignment with the image segments. When the image is then viewed through the lenticulated side of the lens material, a visual 3D or motion illusion results. Discussions of fabrication and use of lenticular lens material, and of lineform or interlaced images, are contained within U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,488,451; 5,617,178; 5,847,808; and 5,896,230, each issued to Goggins.
Examples of production of 3D or motion visual effect labels are found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,032 entitled xe2x80x9cPRINTING PROCESS USING A THIN SHEET LENTICULAR LENS MATERIALxe2x80x9d issued to Bravenec, et al; and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,995 entitled xe2x80x9cMETHOD FOR FORMING A GRAPHIC IMAGE WEBxe2x80x9d issued to Quadracci, et al.
The Quadracci patent discloses the coupling or xe2x80x9cmarryingxe2x80x9d of pre-formed and separately supplied lenticular material with the printed lineform or interlaced image. The Bravenec patent discloses the printing of the image directly onto the flat side of the lenticular material.
It is generally accepted and well-known in the label making arts that in-line printing and converting processes may offer the most cost-effective label production, in terms of speed and efficiency. Exemplary in-line methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,560,799 and 5,753,344, each entitled xe2x80x9cIN-LINE PRINTING PRODUCTION OF THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGE PRODUCTS INCORPORATING LENTICULAR TRANSPARENT MATERIALxe2x80x9d and issued to Jacobsen. The Jacobsen patents utilize a pre-lenticularized film in an in-line process.
The aforementioned patented processes are predicated upon a supply of a pre-lenticularized, or lenticular, film. The supply of such lenticular film is usually provided for the in-line processes in roll- or sheet-fed form. Substantial difficulties may be encountered with reliance upon a supply of lenticular film to an in-line process. Chief among these difficulties, relative to label production, is that of lenticular orientation relative to a machine (or, web) direction (a direction in which a relatively long sheet or web of material is travelling through an in-line printing and converting press). As is well-known in the label making art, the machine direction of an in-line process largely determines the orientation of labels, relative to the machine direction, being produced by the process. In an in-line process using a supply of a pre-lenticularized lens material, consideration must be given to the machine direction because, as aforesaid, the lens material must be correctly aligned with the image.
A web of lenticular labels created in-line results in individual labels that are oriented parallel, rather than perpendicular, to the machine direction. In so-called xe2x80x9cwipe-onxe2x80x9d label application machines that are particularly suited to high speed container labeling requirements (e.g., 250 to 700 containers/min.) the known inline produced lenticular labels adhered directly from the machine direction web result in a xe2x80x9csidewaysxe2x80x9d orientation relative to the containers; to correct this condition, the labels must be re-oriented to the containers, which thus makes the process less efficient and more costly.
Furthermore, it is appreciated by those skilled in the art that a lenticular label having its lenticules oriented in a xe2x80x9csidewaysxe2x80x9d sense relative to a container typically will not conform adequately to curved surfaces of the container. Conversely, a label having lenticules oriented with a major axis of the container, in a top-to-bottom sense, will conform quite well to the surfaces of the container. This conformation, or lack thereof, of the lenticular label to the container surface is analogous to a manner in which corrugated cardboard is easily bendable in one orientation (perpendicular to the lengthwise corrugations) but is not readily bendable in an orientation aligned with the corrugations.
Thus, there exists a need for an in-line manufacturing device and method for creation of lenticular lens material, which provides an orientation of the material that is perpendicular to the machine direction.
An object of the present invention is to provide an in-line process that creates lenticular lens material in an orientation that is perpendicular to the machine direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an in-line process that creates lenticular lens material in any selected orientation relative to the machine direction.
In accordance with the present invention, a lenticular lens material is constructed in an in-line converting and/or printing process. The process includes an optically clear film having a top surface and a bottom surface. Lenticules are embossed or are otherwise formed on the top surface of the film, in a selected direction relative to a machine direction of the in-line process.